Following a web conference with the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability and Energy a year ago, the Alameda County Sustainability team has developed a green and healthy events certification program. This program was inspired by UC Berkeley's own Green Event Certification program.
Over 50 events with over 5000 participants have already been certified. Raffle donations have helped encourage more planners to certify events. Any event planned by an Alameda County employee is eligible for certification.The certification process consists of completing a questionnaire designed to help guide event planners towards making more sustainable choices, such as not printing single-sided handouts and not using styrofoam containers.
The City of Oakland is also considering adopting a similar green events model. The spread of green event certification highlights the important role that collaboration plays in sustainability.
The Alameda County Green Events Checklist can be previewed here.